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#4 - Dropbox Review
Features
Dropbox offers the ideal solution to home users who are looking to sync files across computers and share files with other users online. The free service is simple to set up and use although lacks in the necessary features which business users are likely to require in a backup service.
Dropbox supports both Mac and Windows, but unlike most other backup service providers it also supports Linux. You can use Dropbox on any mobile device as well, and there is a specific application which has been developed for the iPhone.
Dropbox runs via an application which is downloaded and installed with a few simple steps. Users must then set up a Dropbox folder to tell the program which files to update, although after this the process runs automatically.
The backup which is performed by Dropbox occurs in real-time, which completely minimizes the risk of data loss as the data is transferred to your Dropbox account immediately after it is saved. This also removes the chance of encountering problems with scheduling or forgetting to manually back up data.
The Dropbox backup system is also designed to specifically recognize those files which have been altered and are not new. The system then only backs up the changed parts of the file rather than re-uploading the entire file. This can lead to significant time savings when working with very large files and also means that only a low amount of processing is needed, so performance is not affected.
It is easy with Dropbox to access any previous version of any file which you have backed up as well as being able to access deleted files. Both of these are handy features which safeguard against accidental deleting of files and saving over files.
Dropbox is specifically set up for syncing files between computers, and as with the backup, this sync occurs in real-time. This is important as it means that any changes can be immediately seen by all users. Dropbox also has more advanced sharing features than many of the other backup service providers. Within the Dropbox folder, users have the ability to set up a Public folder, which includes files which the user wants anybody to be able to view without a username and password. Each of these files is assigned a URL which can then be placed as a link online or inside e-mails, making for easy sharing with pretty much anyone. This however does not at all compromise the security of other files, which can only be accessed via password.
Security - 
Dropbox uses the standard levels of security for sending and receiving data. All files are transmitted using SSL and all data is also encrypted using AES-256, the same standard used by financial institutions for sensitive information.
Dropbox does not offer users the opportunity to control their own encryption key, which is a feature offered by many of the other top services. As well, Dropbox does not have geo-redundancy, i.e., data centers located in different geographical locations.
Price/Value -
Dropbox is designed predominantly for the home user, and for those who need only to share files or backup a very small amount of data, 2GB is available free of charge. Although there is no free trial available on the paid-for plans, this option also offers users an opportunity to try out the services before subscribing to a plan.
For those who need a little more space, users can choose between a 50GB plan at $9.99 per month or $99.00 per year, and a 100GB plan at $19.99 per month or $199.00 per year.
Unfortunately, there are no plans available with larger storage, which is one of the main reasons that we have not ranked Dropbox higher in our list. This means that Dropbox does not offer sufficient storage to make them a viable option for most business users, or even those who need to back up large numbers of media files.
Ease of Use - 
The initial set-up of Dropbox is really very simple. The installation of the Dropbox software client is possible in only a few clicks, and the sign-up process is quite simple compared to many of the other providers.
The client is easy to use, and works with the same drag and drop technique which is used to move files in the Windows system itself. This means that there is not really very much for users to learn to get themselves up and running with Dropbox. The initial backup is however quite a long-winded process if users have lots of different files distributed across lots of different folders, as they must all be placed into one folder for upload.
It is easy for users to see at a glance which files have been uploaded, as they have a green tick placed against the thumbnail as soon as they have been uploaded. If there is a file which the user thinks should be uploaded without a tick, they simply need to place it inside the Dropbox folder and it should be backed up immediately.
The home page which is presented by Dropbox is easy to negotiate. Users can see immediately which files have been changed recently. This system also makes it very easy to locate specific media files which have been uploaded recently.
Support - 
Unfortunately, the level of support offered by Dropbox is quite minimal and is another reason we did not rate the provider higher in our list. Although there are e-mail addresses given for various different departments, there is no contact telephone number or live chat function. This means that if an urgent issue arises it is not possible to speak directly someone, and can be very frustrating waiting for an e-mail reply.
The FAQ section of the site is somewhat helpful, but is focused predominantly on answering pre-sale queries rather than dealing with technical issues.
To be fair, because Dropbox has so few features and performed so well in our tests, you will not likely require much in the way of support anyway.
Dropbox Review 2012 Conclusion
Dropbox provides a simple, cost-effective solution for users who are looking to backup only very small amounts of data, or who are looking for an easy way to share backed up files with other users. The lack of support options and the limited data storage packages mean that Dropbox is not likely to be a suitable data backup solution for businesses or home computer users who need to backup a substantial amount of data online.
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